Treatment and prevention of breast cancer
Accumulation of genetic mutations is the main factor… The risk is higher if you have no experience giving birth or if you are older.
There is no need to remove benign tumors… When in doubt, perform a biopsy with a simple procedure
Obesity – Be careful of high-fat processed foods, and if you have given birth, breastfeed as much as possible.
Breast cancer, which ranks first in the incidence of cancer among women in Korea, is a representative disease that threatens women’s health. According to the ‘2024 Breast Cancer White Paper’ published by the Korean Breast Cancer Society, the number of female breast cancer patients in Korea increased 5.5 times over 21 years from 6,234 in 2000 to 34,628 in 2021. Breast cancer is not easy to detect early because there are no symptoms in the early stages. In most cases, a lump (nodule) is felt in the breast only after the cancer has progressed to a certain extent.
Therefore, for breast cancer, it is most important to receive an appropriate diagnosis or test early and identify lesions. However, at the same time, caution is needed as unverified information has recently spread through social networking services (SNS), causing side effects in many cases. We met with Won-sik Han, professor of breast endocrine surgery at Seoul National University Hospital (chairman of the Korean Breast Cancer Society), and learned about breast cancer treatment and prevention.
● Genetic mutations are the cause of breast cancer. Breast cancer refers to all malignant tumors that occur in the breast. The causes of the disease are very diverse, but generally the main cause is the accumulation of genetic mutations. It can be said that various factors that affect genetic mutations are involved in the development of breast cancer.
Genetic mutations can occur from small genetic stimuli or from environmental factors such as carcinogens or radiation. Also, since breast cancer can occur for no reason, there are also cases where breast cancer occurs for no reason.
Professor Han said, “The risk of developing breast cancer is generally related to the period of exposure to estrogen, a female hormone.” He added, “As menarche is earlier and menopause is delayed due to Westernized eating habits, the period of time women are exposed to estrogen has lengthened, which also increases the incidence of breast cancer. “It is increasing,” he explained. From a medical perspective, women may be less affected by female hormones during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Instead, the risk of developing breast cancer is relatively higher when you do not give birth, are old at first birth, and do not breastfeed.
● Benign breast tumors do not develop into cancer.
Tumors that occur in the breast are divided into malignant and benign. Fibroadenomas, which are benign tumors, do not progress to cancer.
Professor Han said, “As benign tumors that develop in other body organs can develop into cancer, it is common to remove polyps at the same time as they are diagnosed to prevent cancer.” He added, “For example, in the case of adenomatous polyps that occur in the colon, about 30% are “It is called the ‘seed of cancer’ because it can develop into colon cancer within 5 years.” However, because benign tumors in the breast do not develop into cancer, there is no need to remove them during the diagnosis process.
If you feel a lump in your chest, you may suspect cancer, but it may also be a benign tumor such as fibroadenoma, so you should visit a specialist to receive an accurate diagnosis. Breast lumps are examined through mammography or ultrasound to check for lesions and abnormalities in the mammary glands, and when cancer is suspected, a biopsy is performed.
A total breast biopsy is a method of inserting a needle into a lesion, collecting tissue, and checking for cancer. However, recently, vacuum-assisted aspiration breast biopsy, called ‘mammotome’, has been widely used. The blade of the needle is larger and thicker than that of a total biopsy, and more tissue can be extracted by using negative pressure when collecting tissue. In the case of fibroadenoma in the breast, if it is removed surgically, a scar will remain and a recovery period is required. However, using a mammotome, it can be removed with a relatively simple procedure.
Professor Han said, “Some people mistakenly believe that removing a tumor with a mammotome procedure will help prevent or treat cancer, but since benign breast tumors do not progress to cancer, even if a benign tumor is removed with a mammotome procedure, cancer cannot be prevented.” . He also added, “The purpose of the mammotome procedure during the breast cancer diagnosis process is to collect more tissue when the boundaries of the lesion are unclear to improve the accuracy of the test.”
The mammotome procedure is simpler than surgery, but bleeding may occur as more tissue is removed than a total biopsy. Professor Han said, “If bleeding occurs while examining cancer tissue with a mammotome procedure, the cancer tissue may break or become filled with blood, making it difficult to check the boundaries of the cancer, which may actually interfere with the diagnosis.” He added, “Patients suspected of having breast cancer must have accurate “I recommend a total biopsy for testing,” he said.
● You should undergo regular checkups to check for any abnormalities in your breasts.
To prevent breast cancer, it is important to reduce the causes of breast cancer as much as possible.
Obesity can increase the risk of breast cancer by increasing insulin secretion and estrogen production. For this reason, it is best to avoid processed foods or foods high in fat and manage your weight through regular exercise. Also, if you have given birth, you should breastfeed as much as possible to reduce the possibility of developing breast cancer.
Professor Han said, “Even if we make efforts to prevent breast cancer in our daily lives, cancer sometimes occurs for no reason. Health checkups for prevention and early detection are very important.” “Those in their 40s and older who are in the high-risk group should undergo breast cancer screening every two years,” he said.
Jinhan Lee, medical reporter and doctor [email protected]
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